Tangled Threads (Electronic book text)

For the Hmong people living in overcrowded refugee camps in
Thailand, America is a dream: the land of peace and plenty. In
1995, ten years after their arrival at the camp, thirteen-year-old
Mai Yang and her grandmother are about to experience that dream. In
America, they will be reunited with their only remaining relatives,
Mai's uncle and his family. They will discover the privileges of
their new life: medical care, abundant food, and an apartment all
their own. But Mai will also feel the pressures of life as a
teenager. Her cousins, now known as Heather and Lisa, try to help
Mai look less like a refugee, but following them means disobeying
Grandma and Uncle. From showers and smoke alarms to shopping,
dating, and her family's new religion, Mai finds life in America
complicated and confusing. Ultimately, she will have to reconcile
the old ways with the new, and decide for herself the kind of woman
she wants to be. This archetypal immigrant story introduces readers
to the fascinating Hmong culture and offers a unique outsider's
perspective on our own.